Revealed: how prehistoric 'des res' gave Stone Age Brits a perfect diet

Stone Age Brits were past masters at choosing the perfect ‘des res’, according to new research carried out by archaeologists. Their investigations have revealed that, 300,000 years before the
emergence of anatomically modern humans, prehistoric Britons were
selecting their domestic real estate with tremendous care.

Nutritional
and security considerations appear to have been the main criteria,
according to the new research carried out by scholars at the University
of Southampton and Queen's University, Belfast.

A survey of 25
major British and north-west French sites dating from 500,000 to 200,000
years ago has revealed that early humans – members of the now
long-extinct species Homo heidelbergensis – predominantly chose to live
on islands in the flood plains of major rivers. They avoided forests
and hills – and the upper and middle reaches of river systems, and
their estuaries.

It is the first ever detailed interdisciplinary
investigation into early humanity’s home location preferences. The
degree to which they preferred to choose just one specific type of
location has surprised the archaeologists....